Just like how a movie can fail to meet expectations it can totally overshoot its expectations. And I think that these movies are the ones which are more important than some which are called “The Best” because it gives you a certain feeling when you get more than you expect. Everyone leaves amazed when something like The Dark Knight comes out and totally delivers on its marketing, but when something like Kung Fu Panda hits us and makes us say to each other that we were all wrong it’s something else.

TEN – The Visitor

Walter Vale [Richard Jenkins] is a college professor who finds out that his apartment was being lived in by a couple of immigrants, and he decides to allow them to keep living there. During this time they get to know each other and he learns more about himself and even learns how to play the drums. When Tarek [Haaz Sleiman] is arrested by the police and they find out he is an illegal immigrant they ship him off to a detention centre and now Walter is fighting for his new friend’s rights to stay in the country. Now I can’t stop saying how much I love this movie, and even though not many people would consider this film a ‘surprise’ of 2008 I definitely think it does because it was completely under the radar for me. Not until everyone began to rave about it and then I saw it. The only regret I have now is that I didn’t remember about it a few days ago when I wrote up my Top Ten of 2008, it would definitely make an honourable mention.

NINE – Get Smart

Maxwell Smart [Steve Carell] teams up with Agent 99 [Anne Hathaway] to save the world from terrorists for the first time. I was a big fan of the original TV show and even though most of the internet disagrees with me I think that this movie played well with the source material and was a great homage to the show. I loved Carell in this role and same for Hathaway and even Alan Arkin who played the head of Control. I feared that like many 60s TV shows turned into big budget Hollywood movies this would fail to stick to the original work, but it did well and that is why it surprised me.

EIGHT – Four Christmases

A couple weeks ago I decided to head out and see the latest Christmas themed movie and I was so happy I did. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon pulled off an amazing comedic showing and the last comedy that surprised me this much was Adam McKay’s Talladega Nights. This movie may have reset my interest in Vince Vaughn’s career – as it was when he released Swingers – and also made me realize how awesome Jon Favreau is. I loved Favreau in this movie so much that this performance may outshine the fact that he directed Iron Man, one of the more entertaining movies of the year, earlier this year.

SEVEN – Son of Rambow

Here is an awesome story of two children becoming best friends while making their own sequel to First Blood called Son of Rambow. I can never forget those amazing sequences where you are taken into Will’s imagination where he conceived this amazing story, and it is filled with some fun filled animations. What was even more amazing was whenever Will and Lee Carter would be filming any stunts and just watching them do it their own cheap way, like they film a flying dog by attaching a kite to a dog statue and fly it around the back of the school. Really a must watch for anyone, especially fans of First Blood.

SIX – Horton Hears a Who!

Dr. Suess returns to the big screen with this animated feature about the importance of life, no matter what size or state. The animation and narrative of this tale is just great. Most people didn’t agree with me a few years ago when Jim Carrey played The Grinch, personally I highly enjoyed that performance and film. Now Carrey returns here as Horton the crazy elephant that no one believes when he says that there are Whos’ alive on a flower. And at the other end Steve Carell is The Mayor of Whoville who doesn’t believe that there is massive – in respect to him – elephant holding their world in his paw? [not sure what to call elephant’s hands]. Jim Carrey and Steve Carell definitely deliver in this film with some great characters that will make adults and children enjoy every second. I for one when younger never thought a Dr. Suess book would ever make a good movie.

FIVE – Penelope

Penelope [Christina Ricci] is a cursed with a pig’s snout for a nose and the curse can only be broken with true love. The movie that you expect to be a painful children’s tale about self love definitely has more than meets the eye. It carries a lot of fun with it, with now popular British actor James McAvoy playing the romantic interest the movie carries a lot of interesting moments that can keep you invested in the characters throughout the film. Also with Lemon [Peter Dinklage] playing the dwarf reporter who won’t leave the story of Penelope alone you never get bored watching him trying to infiltrate the house.

FOUR – Hellboy II: The Golden Army

This movie caught me by storm, even though I’ve recently become a mini-fan of Spanish director, Guillermo Del Toro; I hated the first movie in this franchise. Since I don’t know anything about the comic book first hand I’m not a crazed fanboy who can point out every single difference from the source, and this helps in my enjoyment so I’m a fresh palate. But the first movie was just a mess since it tried to establish these characters which I just wasn’t enjoying, especially Liz [Selma Blair] and Abe [Doug Jones], but with the introduction of Johann Krauss [Seth MacFarlane] and one of the best villains of the year maybe, Prince Nuada [Luke Goss] the movie gave me something to enjoy. And also I enjoyed Guillermo’s fascination with using as many practical effects as possible. I’ve been thinking about picking up this DVD lately and I think I might just soon.

THREE – Kung Fu Panda

Finally the movie most people keep arguing with me about how it is better than WALL E. I say nay; this movie is freaking awesome, and I think the surprise factor for this movie is so much more than WALL E, but WALL E still wins when it comes to straight up story/visual quality. Here Jack Black voices a Panda who gets his dream to come true to train with the Furious Five and become a badass Kung Fu Master all under the tutelage of Master Shifu [Dustin Hoffman]. The movie is near perfect if only for the fact that children will enjoy every moment and adults will love it along with them, even if they don’t want to admit it. I was amazed at how great Hoffman was as this unassuming raccoon who is more powerful than anyone else at the school. So SKADOOSH!!!

TWO – In Bruges

Ray [Colin Farrell] and Ken [Brendan Gleeson], after making a hit, are told to take off and hideout in Bruges. Ray plays the young Irishman who can’t sit in one place without being brutally honest to someone to the point of insult, while Ken is the older more appreciative of the historical town. Farrell and Gleeson play so well off one another driving each other completely mad but knowing that they cannot part or they would be breaking orders. It is so great to see these two interact with the ‘dreamlike’ town of Bruges, and it made my Top Ten Movies of 2008 list.

ONE – Mama Mia

Now here it is. I tried as hard as possible to hate this movie, but as soon as the ABBA music started I couldn’t help but love it. Yes; Pierce Brosnan singing is a horrible thing, but everything else works. And like most musicals I fall in love with it because of the music, which I guess is the point. I’m not trying to say that the movie is best of 08, but I think that if you are an ABBA fan or a fan of musicals you should give it a shot it will surprise you at how good it is.

And a few honourable mentions to end it off: Step Brothers, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Made of Honor.